Aichmophobia
by Tato Potato
Summary: Cal and Ethan have to work together to save a patient. The patient reminds them of when they were younger and faced a similar battle. Will they manage to work together without their feelings getting in the way? Not recommended for people who have a fear of needles!
1. Chapter 1

She was laid on the bed with her hands by her sides as he gently lifted up her t-shirt. Her dark brown hair was fanned out on the crisp white pillow. He rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm them before he gently began to touch her abdomen. He pressed gently around her lower abdomen when she began to wince. 'Here?' He asked as he moved his hand back to where he had it before. She nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. He lifted his spare hand and brushed the tears from her face. 'Its okay. I'm not going to touch it again' he explained as he removed his hand from her stomach. He lifted the bed up so she was now upright. She smiled weakly. The patient was barely eighteen and was quite freaked out being in the hospital. 'We are going to need to take some bloods so we can be sure what is wrong' he stated. Ethan turned to Lofty who was assisting him. 'Can we arrange that and then I'd like to do an ultrasound to be sure' he instructed. He sat on the edge of the bed looking at his patient. 'I'm not sure what is wrong but I think it may be appendicitis, so I'd like to do some more tests before we make a diagnosis,' he murmured. Lofty soon returned with some equipment and Robyn followed with the ultrasound machine. 'Okay Emma, I need to take some bloods, are you okay with needles?' He asked. She shook her head gently before she spoke, 'I'm not a huge fan of them' she whispered. 'In that case, Robyn, could you comfort her, whilst I take the bloods' he instructed as he organised his equipment. Ethan knew that it would be better if he took the bloods because he was vey gentle and the patient seemed to trust him. Robyn sat on the bed beside Emma. 'Don't worry, Dr Hardy is the best, he will be incredibly gentle that you won't notice that he has taken the blood.' Robyn smiled at the patient. 'Okay then, can you just look away for me please' he asked as he tied a tourniquet around her arm and Lofty cleaned her upper arm with an antibacterial wipe. 'I'm just going to look for a vein,' he explained as he gently tapped her arm. He tried in several places and then decided that he should try the other arm. 'I'm sorry but we need to try the other arm. Its okay I won't get the needle until I am confident that I can get a sufficient vein,' he explained to Emma who had a look of worry etched on her face. Robyn placed a hand on her shoulder as Ethan applied the tourniquet to her other arm. Soon enough he found a vein. 'Okay, I'm just going to insert the needle, you will probably feel a sharp scratch but if it hurts please tell me' he said. He lifted the syringe from the tray that Lofty handed him and approached Emma. He steadily inserted the needle into her arm. Emma flinched as the needle pierced her pale skin. 'Its okay. I'm nearly done. You have been very brave' he murmured soothingly as he filled several small vials with her blood. 'Okay, just hold still a second' he said as he slowly removed the needle and placed a small piece of cotton wool on her arm. 'All done' he smiled as he handed the equipment to Lofty. Robyn took a small tissue from her pocket and handed it to Emma who was still crying. Ethan placed a hand on her arm. 'Its okay! I know how you feel, I don't like needles either but you were incredibly brave.' He said. 'Thank you' she replied trying to smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Ethan was concerned about the patients condition so he chose to get a second opinion. The young doctor stepped outside the cubicle to find his brother Caleb stood waiting. 'Lofty told me that you wanted to see me?' Cal said as his brother closed the curtain behind him. 'I wanted a second opinion, about the patient in this cubicle. I think she might have appendicitis but I can't be sure.' He explained to his older brother. 'What are the symptoms?' He asked. 'Vomiting, abdominal tenderness, and fever. It appears to have been going on for nearly a week' he explained as he led Cal into the cubicles. 'Okay, this is Emma, Emma this is Dr Knight.' Ethan said introducing his brother to the patient. 'Hello Emma, you can call me Cal' he said as he approached the bed. 'Could you lift up your t-shirt so I can examine you?' He asked gently as she rolled her top up. 'Okay, my hands may be a bit cold so I'm sorry about that' he smiled as he gently placed his hand on her lower abdomen. Ethan directed him to where it had been tender before. 'Okay Emma, this might hurt a bit but I promise I will be as gentle as I can be' he murmured as he applied some pressure on this region. Emma let out a loud whimper followed by a sob. 'Its okay darling, Cal here is just trying to see what might be wrong with you' Robyn cooed. 'Okay, does it hurt anywhere else or is it just here?' He asked. She nodded 'it only hurts here' she replied. Cal moved his hand across her abdomen and applied the same pressure on the other side. 'No tenderness here?' He questioned. She shook her head. 'Right. Lets get an ultrasound and see what we are dealing with.' He said as he stood back. They moved the ultrasound machine closer to the bed. 'Robyn can you chase those bloods for me?' Ethan said as he picked up the probe. Cal took Robyn's place on the other side of the bed. Ethan squeezed some gel onto her abdomen. 'This will probably be a bit cold' he said as he did this. She flinched at how cold it was. A single tear rolled down her face. In all honesty she was scared. Cal took her hand in his and used his spare hand to wipe away her tears. 'Its okay, this won't hurt a bit' he smiled as Ethan gently placed the probe on her stomach. 'Okay, I'm just going to move this around a bit so we can get a clear image of your abdomen' he said as he slowly moved his hand around. 'Tell me if it hurts' he told he continued his examination. She winced, squeezing Cal's hand as the pain that rippled through her abdomen intensified. 'Hey, its alright.' He calmly told her. Her face was becoming more and more pale. 'Ethan, I think we need to give her some pain relief' he stated. 'Okay, Lofty can I get 2 of morphine please' he muttered as he stopped the examination. He looked over to the patient who was undoubtedly in a lot of pain. Lofty returned handing him a small syringe of medicine. At this sight she recoiled. 'Hey what's the matter' Cal inquired. 'She doesn't like needles much' Ethan explained. 'Okay, maybe it is best to insert a cannula now so that when she needs more medication we can use that' the elder of the two suggested. Lofty left and returned with the necessary equipment including some numbing cream to make it less painful. Cal gently took her hand and rolled it over so that they could locate a vein. Ethan did the same on the other side. Cal was the first to locate a vein. He took a sterile wipe and cleaned her arm. Then he applied the numbing cream and tied the tourniquet around her arm. 'We just have to wait a few minutes so the numbing cream can do its job.' He whispered to Emma who was visibly shaking. Ethan took a pillow and placed it under her arm to make it a bit more comfortable.


	3. Chapter 3

A few minutes passed and it was time to insert the cannula. As Ethan reached for the needle, Emma started to shake more violently and sobbed loudly. Cal sat on the bed alongside her and she buried her head into his chest. He stroked her head as Ethan tightened the tourniquet and picked up the needle. In one swift movement, the cannula had been carefully inserted. They taped it into place and then administered the morphine. 'I think I'm going to be sick' Emma muttered as she sat up on the bed. Cal grabbed a bowl and held it under her chin for her whilst she threw up. He rubbed her back in small circular motions. He hair which had been tied back out of her face began to unravel. Ethan dashed forward and held it for her. As she surfaced the younger of the doctors used his spare hand to take a tissue and wipe her face for her. 'T-thank y-y-you' she stuttered shivering violently. 'Um, her temperature is 39.2' Lofty said as he took her temperature. 'Right can we get some fluids in her please' Cal instructed, taking charge. He wrapped his arms around the patient and tried to calm her down. Whilst they administered the fluids Robyn returned with the blood tests. Silence fell on the cubicle Ethan read the results, his face remained blank. 'Its definitely appendicitis' he explained. A loud groan came from the bed followed by strained breathing sounds. Cal jumped off of the bed, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck. He placed it in his ears and then listened to her chest. 'I think she is having a panic attack' he stated. 'Lets move her to resus' Ethan called as they disconnected the monitors. As they moved the bed Lofty placed an oxygen mask over her face to help her breathe. They charged down the corridor and into resus. Cal crouched down beside the bed. 'Emma, darling can you calm down, I need you to take some deep breaths for me. Your having a panic attack and you need to calm down.' He explained. It had no effect and she continue writhing on the bed in agony as she gasped for air. 'Sweet heart I need you to breathe. In through the nose and out through the mouth' Ethan tried to tell her. Soon enough she began to calm down. 'I'm scared' she whispered hoarsely. Cal gently stroked her arm. 'Everything will be okay.' He said. 'The surgeons will come down and talk to you in a moment' he told her. 'Can you stay with me?' She asked timidly. 'Sure' he smiled as he sat beside her. A few moments later there was a knock at the door. Ethan appeared followed by a strange looking man 'Hello! I'm Mr Williams, and I'm going to be your surgeon' he explained as he approached the bed. Emma was nervous. 'Hi I'm Dr Knight' Cal said introducing himself as he climbed off of the bed. A hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. He turned around to see Emma's hand clasped on his arm for dear life. 'Hey, sssshh its okay,' he murmured. He sat back on the edge of her bed, his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand to comfort her. 'Stay' she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

The surgeon approached the bed more closely. 'Okay so, I need to have a look through your notes and then we will discuss the best possible options for you' he explained as he took her file. After a few minutes of silent reading he put down the file and began explaining the best course of treatment. 'It is definitely appendicitis. The only treatment for this is to remove the appendix completely' he told Emma. 'There are two ways we can do this. We can do this using the traditional method or through key hole surgery which means that there will be less of a scar and the recovery time is less. However your appendicitis does seem to be on the worse side so I would recommend the first option but of course it is up to you' he explained. Emma nodded her head. She looked up at Cal who smiled back at her. 'What should I do?' She asked him. 'Its up to you but I would do what Mr Williams suggests and go for option one' he stated. 'Okay' she whispered timidly. 'Right so we will come back down in about twenty minutes and take you up to a ward where we will prepare you for surgery. But for now you are to eat and drink absolutely nothing.' Ethan remained by the door as the surgeon left. 'How are you feeling now Emma?' He asked worriedly. 'I'm really scared, can you come with me?' She asked both of the young doctors. 'Unfortunately I have to stay here and work,' Ethan replied. 'I'll come' Cal said with a smile. His shift was nearly over so he knew that he wouldn't need to remain in the ED. She let out a small gasp. Her hand clasped gently around her abdomen 'Owww!' She cried. Cal stood up and lifted her top. He placed a hand gently on her lower abdomen. She screamed in pain. 'Right Ethan, call Mr Williams and tell him that we are bringing her up now!' He yelled as he began disconnecting the monitors, and administered a very small dose of morphine. It wouldn't get rid of the pain but it would at least take the edge off. It was the best he could do because she wasn't supposed to have anymore before her surgery. 'Listen Emma, I think your appendix may have ruptured so we need to take you straight to theatre, okay' he told her as he began to wheel the bed along the corridor. As they approached the lift, Ethan and Lofty joined them. Once they reached the theatre, only Cal remained. 'Hold my hand' he whispered to Emma who was visibly shaking, grabbed his hand and refused to let go. They entered the prep room where an anaesthetist was waiting. 'Okay, Emma, I'm going to give you some medicine which will make you feel very sleepy okay?' They explained as they injected her with the anaesthetic. Almost instantly she flopped back onto the pillows, her eyes closed and she drifted off. Cal got scrubbed up for the surgery and then helped escort her into the theatre. He still held onto her hand despite the fact that her grip had faltered.


	5. Chapter 5

After nearly two hours, the surgery was ending. They stitched up the incision and then wheeled Emma into the recovery room. All through this time Cal sat with her and held her hand. When they reached the recovery room Cal saw that there was someone waiting for them there. It was Ethan. Ethan placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, 'you need a break, go and get yourself something to eat, I'll stay with her' he said to Cal who looked exhausted. Cal smiled at this simple act of kindness. 'If she wakes up can you tell her that I'll be back soon' Cal asked as he turned on his heel and left. He went down to the ED staff room and made himself a quick sandwich. He wasn't supposed to be here because his shift had ended but he didn't know where else he could go. He also changed out of his scrubs and into his normal clothes. Meanwhile in the recovery room, Ethan had taken over Cal's job and was holding Emma's hand. Suddenly he felt her grip tighten. Her eyes flickered. Then she sat up. Her face distorted in agony as she heaved herself up. 'Hey. Its okay. Just sit still.' He whispered as she shakily removed the oxygen mask that was covering her face. 'H-hurts' she groaned hoarsely. 'Its okay, I'll get you some pain relief in a moment,' he replied. 'C-Cal?' She murmured. 'No its me Ethan, Cal's gone to get something to eat, he'll be back soon' he said gently helping her to sit back carefully. 'How are you feeling?' He asked. 'Pain... Head hurts...tired' was all she could manage as she struggled to speak. 'Right, thats normal, I'll go and get a nurse to bring some pain relief. Can I just check the incision?' He asked. In response she slowly removed the blankets and gingerly lifted her top. There was a small dressing on her lower abdomen which had originally been white. Now it was stained with her crimson blood. 'Right, I'm going to remove that and change it.' He explained as he reached out and slowly removed the tape that held it in place. 'Tell me if it hurts' he smiled. He slowly removed the gauze and she winced. 'Its okay, its just a bit stuck' he said as he gently tugged it off of her stomach in one swift movement. 'Right, you seem to have pulled one of the stitches loose, so I will need to re do it for you.' Ethan mumbled. He turned and went to the nurses station. When he returned he was carrying two trays of equipment. As he entered the room he noticed a figure approaching carrying two cups of coffee. Cal had returned. 'What are you doing?' He asked his younger brother. 'She's pulled one of her stitches so I need to repair it and she needs some pain relief' he explained to the elder doctor. 'Right, I brought you some coffee. Is she awake?' Cal asked as he entered the room. 'Hello' he murmured as he sat down beside her.


	6. Chapter 6

As Ethan entered the room with the equipment she began to shake. 'Whats wrong?' Cal inquired. 'Scared... Needles' she cried as she grabbed Cal's hand. He sat on the bed beside her. 'I'm just going to administer some morphine through the cannula, and then I'll inject a local anaesthetic in your abdomen so I can stitch it up' Ethan explained as he approached the bed. Emma turned to Cal, her face becoming more pale. He smiled as she buried her head into his chest. Ethan turned her arm over gently and gave her the morphine. She relaxed a little bit after this but was still crying. 'Hey, its okay. I'm here' Cal whispered to her. Ethan sat at the foot of the bed. 'Right Emma, I'm going to give you a local anaesthetic now which will make your tummy feel numb. You'll feel a sharp scratch but I promise it won't hurt. Just tell me if you start to feel uncomfortable,' he told her as he picked up the syringe. He gently placed one hand on her abdomen. Cal held her tightly as Ethan steadily inserted the needle into her skin. She let out a small whimper as the needle pierced her abdomen. 'You're doing really well sweetie' Cal said as she grabbed his hand tightly. She relaxed her grip as Ethan carefully removed the needle. He picked up the necessary equipment so he could stitch up her abdomen. He used a piece of clean gauze to wipe away the blood from her wound. He pushed the needle into her skin on one side of the wound and pushed it out on the other side tying the stitch in place as he did it. He repeated this a couple of times until the wound was completely closed. Ethan noticed that Emma was tense as he did this which indicated that she felt some pain. 'Did it hurt?' He asked gently. She nodded. 'Why didn't you say?' He asked. 'I didn't want you to poke me with any more needles' she whispered shyly. 'Oh come here' he said as he wrapped his arms around her. Moments later the curtain opened and Mr Williams entered. 'How's the patient?' He asked concernedly. 'She's only just fallen asleep,' Cal whispered from the bed where Emma had snuggled up on his chest. 'I had to restitch her incision and I administer 2 of morphine because she was in agony' Ethan explained to the surgeon. 'Okay, thats not a problem. I'll pop back in 15 minutes to administer some more pain relief and to check on her' Mr Williams stated. Emma was fast asleep the next time the surgeon came in so he quietly injected her with more pain relief and then left her to get some rest.


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for the bulk writing. Many of you have asked if I can put it into paragraphs, for some reason it isn't letting me do this unless I use my laptop. Unfortunately this story is already prewritten on my iPad. Sorry :(**

An hour later, both of the doctors, Cal and Ethan, were both fast asleep as well. All of a sudden Emma woke up with a start. The pain hit her as she tried to sit up. It took the breath out of her as she tried to sit up. As she did this it tore the stitches in her abdomen. She let out a small yelp as she collapsed back onto the pillows. Ethan who was a light sleeper compared to Cal woke up when he heard her cry. He saw her sat back on the pillows with tears streaming down her face and her hand clasped around her tummy. He jumped put of the chair. 'Hey, whats the matter?' He asked wipng her tears away with his sleeve. She couldn't catch her breath to respond. He noticed her hand clasped around her waist and gently lifted it. 'Oh my word... Cal... Caleb... Wake up' he said as he alerted his brother of the situation. The sheets were no longer crisp and white, instead they were covered in Emma's crimson red blood. 'Get some oxygen on her now' Caleb yelled as he pressed the emergency call button on her bedside. A nurse scuttled into the room. 'I need two litres of saline, two units of morphine and some suturing equipment' Ethan demanded. Moments later the nurse returned with a metal trolley laden with the necessary equipment. 'Emma, I'm going to give you some morphine for the pain, can you hear me?' The young doctor asked as he put on a pair of latex gloves. She couldn't hear him because she was having a panic attack. Cal sat on the bed beside her, whilst tying to calm her down. 'Emma, I need you to calm down. Take some deep breaths, everything will be okay if you just relax' Cal soothingly tried to reassure her. 'Right, I'm going to have to inject this straight into your tummy so that it works straight away. You will feel a sharp scratch, okay' Ethan explained to Emma, even though he knew she couldn't hear. He cleaned the area carefully using a sterile wipe. He took the syringe from the nurse and gently pushed the needle into her toned abdomen. She flinched as it broke the skin, but continued to have a panic attack. Cal had buried her head into his chest as he knew she would still be able to feel everything. 'Okay. I'm going to have to give you a local anaesthetic now, so you will feel another sharp scratch, but you're doing really well darling' he whispered as he took the syringe and injected the anaesthetic into her abdomen. 'Its going to feel numb for while but if you feel any discomfort please tell me' he murmured. Cal had his hand over the wound, applying pressure to prevent blood loss. He left his hand there for a moment longer so that it would give the anaesthetic a chance to work.


	8. Chapter 8

Ethan prepared the equipment he needed for the procedure whilst they waited. Cal lifted his hand and saw that only Ethan's stitches remained in place. 'Emma, I'm here, just hold my hand. You are going to be fine. Ethan is just going to stitch up your tummy again' he whispered as he took her hand in his. 'O-okay' she stuttered looking up at Cal. 'Hello, you're back with us then' he murmured gently stroking her head with his spare hand as she rested her head on his chest. The nurse quickly hooked up the saline whilst Ethan meticulously stitched up the wound. As he reached half way she suddenly flinched. 'Does it hurt?' He asked worriedly. She nodded weakly. 'I'll get you some more anaesthetic' he explained as he picked up the syringe. 'Could you look away for me' he said trying not to alert her to the fact that he was injecting her. Cal hugged her tightly as she let out a small whimper as the needle made contact with her wounded stomach. 'Its okay. I'm nearly finished' Ethan told her as he removed the needle from her. He finished stitching in silence as Emma began to drift out of consciousness. 'Um Ethan!' Cal called as he noticed her become limp in his arms. ' she gone into shock' Ethan told him as he jumped off of the bed. 'Can we get some more fluids here please' Cal instructed the nurse as he helped Ethan lower the bed. Mr Williams entered the room as Ethan and Cal attached more fluids to her. 'How is she?' He asked as Cal looked up at him. 'She went into shock a few moments ago so we are giving her more fluids to bring her blood pressure up and to see if that helps' he explained to the surgeon. 'We'll get her on antibiotics for now and see if that helps' the surgeon stated as he fetched the medication. He injected it into her cannula and left the room. The brothers collapsed back onto their chairs in an exhausted heap. 'Why are you so bothered by this patient?' Ethan asked his brother. 'It remind me of when you were admitted to hospital with the same condition and how helpless I was' Cal explained. 'What about you? Why are you bothered' he asked his brother in return. 'Because I know what it feels like to be in that situation' Ethan responded.


	9. Chapter 9

Years earlier when Ethan was only sixteen years old, he was admitted to hospital after collapsing at home. Cal had been looking after him when he suddenly collapsed. Cal had called an ambulance immediately, before rushing to his brother's aid. Cal was completing his final year at medical school and was only on holiday when this happened but he remembered what he had learned about appendicitis. Ethan writhed in agony on the floor clutching his tummy as Cal tried his best to keep him calm. He rolled up his brother's jumper. 'Hold still Ethan, I need to check your abdomen, so try not to move' he said as he gently placed his hand onto his brothers stomach. 'Cold!' Ethan whimpered. 'Sorry! Right, this might hurt a bit but I need to feel your tummy. Just try not to move, I know it hurts but try' he instructed his brother who attempted to remain as still as possible. He yelped in pain as Cal pressed harder on his tummy. 'Does it hurt here?' He quizzed his brother. Ethan nodded. 'How about here?' He asked moving his hand across his tummy. Ethan shook his head. 'How about here?' Cal said as he moved his hand onto Ethan's lower abdomen on the right hand side. Ethan sat bolt upright clutching his stomach as he cried in pain. 'Okay, Nibbles, I promise I won't hurt you again' he said as he pulled his poorly brother into a hug. 'I'm frightened' Ethan mumbled to his concerned older brother. 'Its okay, an ambulance is on its way' Cal told him trying not to let his emotions show in his voice, he too was scared. The ambulance arrived minutes later. Ethan was petrified as they put him into the ambulance and sped towards the hospital. When they arrived, he grabbed onto his brothers arm and refused to let go. Cal knew that his brother was scared, he never liked hospitals and was afraid of needles. 'Its okay Ethan I'm here' he said as they wheeled the bed into a small cubicle. The doctor introduced himself as a Dr Smith. 'Ethan, I'm going to give you some morphine for the pain' he explained. Ethan recoiled himself. 'He's kind of afraid of needles' Cal whispered to the doctor. 'Well, there is no other option unfortunately' he told Cal sympathetically. Cal sat on the bed next to his brother and tried to calm him down. 'Ethan, they need to give you some medicine which will make you feel a bit better' Cal softly murmured. 'No needles' Ethan whimpered stubbornly with tears brimming in his eyes. 'It will only be quick and it won't hurt too much' Cal mumbled wiping his brothers tears away.


	10. Chapter 10

It was hard for him to see his little brother quite so upset. Normally Ethan was the strong one. 'Why don't you hold my hand and it'll be over quickly' Cal soothed as the doctor returned with a nurse. 'Ethan, the nurse is going to insert a cannula which will mean that we won't have to use a needle next time we give you some medicine' the doctor told him before leaving the nurse to deal with Ethan. The nurse cleaned his arm and tightly tied a tourniquet around his arm. She tried to put the needle in but the vein sank before she could get it in properly. Ethan let out a small whimper as the needle went into his arm. The nurse tried again and again which only made matters worse for Ethan. Tears were now streaming down his face as he buried his head further into Cal's chest. The nurse tried the other arm which proved just as painful and troublesome. Cal stood up from the bed and took the nurse to one side 'he's afraid of needles and before too long, he will have a panic attack' he explained. 'I'm sorry there is not much we can do about that I'm afraid' she told him. Suddenly Cal had an idea. 'Can I try?' He asked. 'I'm a medical student and I have some experience in cannula insertion' he told her. She sighed and then nodded her head. 'Ethan, the nurse can't seem to find a vein, is it okay if I try?' He asked his brother. 'I promise to be gentle' he added. Ethan looked up with a tear stained face, he nodded his head gently. Cal took the cannula. He gently tapped his brother arm to try and locate a vein. One he found one, he tightened the tourniquet slightly and in one swift movement the cannula had been inserted and Ethan hardly noticed. The nurse injected the morphine quickly which almost instantly relieved Ethan's pain. He thanked his brother as he sat back onto the bed. He wished he could go home but he knew that he would be staying here for a while. The doctor returned with the nurse moments later. 'Unfortunately Ethan we need to take some bloods so we can find out what is wrong with you' the doctor informed him. Cal sighed as he looked at his little brother who was fretting. The doctor motioned to Cal to step outside for a moment. 'Are you able to do a simple blood test?' The doctor asked the brother. 'Um yeah, why?' Cal asked. 'Its just he seems to trust you and we don't want him to have a panic attack so we wondered if you would be able to help out' the doctor explained.


	11. Chapter 11

They entered the room to find Ethan cowering on the bed. He was curled up in a tight ball on the bed visibly shaking. Cal ran to his side and soothing rubbed his back in circular motions. Ethan began to calm down whilst the nurse prepared the equipment for Cal. Cal donned a pair of latex gloves as he tried to keep his brother calm. 'Ethan, I need to take some bloods. The doctor said I can do it but you need to hold still mate' he instructed as his brother buried his head into the crisp white pillows. Their parents were away on holiday and so Cal had offered to take care of his brother. He didn't expect something like this to happen. He had called his parents whilst they were on their way to the hospital and his parents were on their way back home but wouldn't arrive back until the next day so Cal had to look after Ethan himself. He cleaned his brother's arm with a wipe and then tied a tourniquet around it tightly. Ethan began to make a fuss so Cal put his arm around him to comfort him. As he began to settle Cal picked up the needle and gently inserted it into his arm. Ethan sobbed as the needle punctured his skin. Cal spoke to him soothingly as he filled several vials with Ethan's blood. 'Its okay, I'm nearly finished. You're being incredibly brave.' He told his brother. 'Hold still mate,' he instructed as he carefully removed the needle and placed a small plaster over the puncture wound. He rubbed his arm gently as Ethan finally spoke. 'I feel sick' he mumbled. The nurse handed Ethan a paper bowl. He held it beneath his chin as he began to retch. Cal held the bowl for his little brother as he threw up. He tried to comfort his little brother by rubbing his back. Once Ethan had finished being sick the doctor returned to speak to them. Cal handed Ethan a tissue as the doctor spoke. 'Right, now we have taken some bloods we need to find out where this pain is coming from' he explained.


	12. Chapter 12

As he began to lift his shirt, Ethan started to panic. His breathing became shallower, his heart racing and he was becoming more and more pale. The doctor removed the stethoscope from around his neck and listened to Ethan's chest. 'He's having a panic attack' he stated. Cal rushed forwards and tried to help his little brother. 'Nibbles, you need to calm down for me, take some deep breaths' he told him. Ethan was writhing on the bed engulfed in agony. His head was pounding. His stomach ached. All he wanted to do was to go home, he was frightened of the hospital, so far they had poked him with needles and he hated it. 'Ethan, its me Cal, just calm down for me. The doctors can't help you unless you relax. You need to breathe and you need to relax' he instructed his brother. Steadily Ethan began to calm down. Cal took his hand and held it tightly. He was used to dealing with Ethan's panic attacks but this one was one of the worst he had ever had. He sighed as the doctor returned to the task at hand and lifted Ethan's top. As he did this Ethan mumbled something inaudible. 'Hey, I'm here, just stay calm and try not to move too much. The doctor needs to examine your tummy' Cal explained to his brother who was still crying. 'Squeeze my hand if it hurts' he told him as the doctor placed his warm hands on Ethan's abdomen. Cal directed the doctor to where it had hurt Ethan before. As his hand reached this area Cal could feel Ethan gripping his hand as tightly as he could, tears threatened to escape his eyes as the doctor applied some pressure. 'It hurts' he whispered to Cal as the doctor moved his hand slightly. 'I know it does mate but you are being incredibly brave' he murmured to his brother who was trying his best not to cry. The doctor continued this process until he returned to the spot that was troubling Ethan. 'I need to press on your tummy a bit harder now, so this might hurt a bit. If you hold as still as you can, I will try my best to do this quickly' the doctor told him. Cal helped his brother to a more comfortable position before the doctor began. Ethan buried his head into Cal's chest. The stabbing pain rippled through his body as the doctor began to poke and prod his stomach. He flinched constantly, but Cal held him tightly so he couldn't move too much. He yelped in pain as the doctor pressed harder and harder. 'Stop, it really hurts' Ethan cried. Cal stroked his head as the doctor finished his examination. 'Right it looks like appendicitis, so we are going to have to take you to theatre for surgery later today.' He explained. 'Have you had anything to eat or drink today?' He asked. Ethan spent a minute thinking about it. He hadn't really been hungry so he skipped breakfast. He shook his head. 'Okay, you can't eat or drink anything until after the surgery' he informed Ethan. 'Not hungry anyway' was Ethan's response.


	13. Chapter 13

The doctor left the brothers on their own. 'Cal, I'm scared' he said looking up at his brother. 'I know, but they need to operate otherwise you won't get better' he whispered. 'You'll be okay. I'm here and Mum and Dad will be back tomorrow so you don't need to worry. Just focus on getting better okay' he continued. Ethan nodded his head weakly. Cal was sat on the bed alongside Ethan who had snuggled up to him and was fast asleep. The curtain opened and the surgeon arrived to talk to them. 'Hello, I'm Miss Jones and I am going to be your surgeon' she whispered as she noticed the young boy sleeping. 'Hi, I'm Caleb, but you can call me Cal. And this is Ethan.' He introduced them. 'Sorry, he's just very tired. Its been a tough day for him. He doesn't like hospitals or needles and faced both' he explained to the surgeon. She nodded her head with a smile. 'He's in safe hands here though' she told him as she explained the course of treatment that Ethan would be having. As she finished explaining, Ethan began to stir. His eyes flickered open as he realised where he was. He started to tremble. 'Hey, sleepy head. Its okay, I'm here' Cal soothed as Ethan calmed down. 'We'll be back in 10 minutes to collect him for surgery' the surgeon informed them as she left. 'I don't want to go. I want to go home' Ethan said as he burst into tears. 'I promise it won't hurt and you need to have surgery to make you better' he explained. They arrived moments later to take Ethan to theatre. As they tried to move him, he started to cry. Cal took his hand and helped calm him down. Ethan refused to let go of his hand so Cal was forced to accompany hm to the prep room where they injected Ethan with some anaesthetic. As he drifted off Cal managed to pry Ethan's hand off of his and left them to it. He paced up and down the corridor whilst he waited for news of his brother. A nurse came out of the operating theatre and told him that everything went well. Moments later the doors swung open and Ethan was wheeled down the corridor to the recovery room. He was still completely sedated. 'I told you, everything would be okay' Cal whispered to his brother. Tears streamed down Cal's face. He felt so useless. He just wanted to take Ethan's place. He hated seeing his brother like this. A few hours passed since the surgery and Ethan was finally away however he was still shaking and crying as he had been before the surgery. 'H-hurts' he whispered to Cal. Cal called a nurse to come and check on his brother and she gave him some more morphine and checked his stitches. She put a new dressing over the incision and then left the boys to get some rest. They both collapsed into a heap of exhaustion.


	14. Chapter 14

'You know, I'm still afraid of needles' Ethan whispered to his brother as they watched Emma sleep soundly. 'I thought you were. You flinched when we did the pericardiocentesis and tears ran down your face. I really didn't want to have to do it but there was no other option' he told him. 'Its okay, sometimes the only cure of a phobia is to face it.' He told his older brother with a smile. 'I'm not too sure, when you woke up after the surgery, the first thing you did was tell us that you were aichmophobic' he laughed. He put an arm around his brother's shoulder. 'I'm glad it was you who looked after me after the crash. I didn't want people to laugh at me' Ethan mumbled. 'I'm glad too, I didn't want them to hurt you' he told his little brother who pulled him into an embrace. 'Thanks Cal, you're my Knight in shining armour' he murmured with a smile as he squeezed his brother tightly. 'Anything for my safety net' he joked as he returned the embrace. There was movement coming from the bed. Emma was awake.


End file.
